The present invention relates to vehicles that reside on a fixed path. More specifically, the present invention relates to a control system and method for vehicles that reside on a fixed path.
Since the early twentieth century, controlling vehicles that reside on a fixed path such as trains, intrafactory cargo vehicles, and amusement park rides has lead to important industrial growth and consumer satisfaction. In the case of amusement parks, guests have demanded bigger, better, and more elaborate rides, they also require and expect a positive park experience, which entails progressively shorter waits to enter a ride. This requires Park management to balance two very important interests—guest satisfaction and safety.
Integrated control systems for a number of rides, from rollercoasters to log flumes, is known. In the past, human operators along the ride path would control breaking mechanisms to maintain vehicle spacing. More recently, path-mounted sensors have been used to control breaking and vehicle spacing. Other attractions use a plurality of platen drives, having a wheel or other path-mounted drive element that contacts a platen of each ride vehicle, to drive and control speed of the ride vehicles at all locations along the path. These control systems are generally limited to controlling ride vehicles at the operator control console, typically located at the boarding station. From the operator control console, the operators also have the ability to control not only breaking, but dispatch, reentry and tuning as well.
Recently, an onboard control system was disclosed by Baxter, et al., EP 0 667 798 B1. Baxter discloses an onboard control system that controls actions of the particular vehicle in the form of one of steering, velocity and articulation of a motion base relative to a passenger supporting structure, according to a programmably defined motion pattern defined by sequenced program instructions of a ride program, the motion pattern providing a defined spatial interaction with a dimensional set element.
The above types of control systems are insufficient because in many cases, two operators are required for dispatching a car. For example, in the case of rollercoasters, one operator must support the operator control console while another operator checks the safety feature of the car such as shoulder bars and seat belts. This, in effect, doubles the cost of labor for each ride.
Accordingly, to date, no suitable system or method for controlling vehicles on a fixed path is available.